Ellie Ellis is lying flat on the floor of her apartment, surrounded by half‑finished paintings, open sketchbooks, and a suspicious amount of empty tea mugs.
Pluto — her round, judgmental black cat — is perched on her stomach like a loaf of bread that has claimed its territory.
An eviction notice is crumpled on Ellie's chest.
She stares at the ceiling. Sighs.
"Well, Pluto... looks like we're gonna be homeless."
Pluto blinks once.123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3hC1zWGUSK
Slowly.123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyren87A7oI
Rude.
"Wow. Deeply comforting. Thank you."
Pluto kneads her hoodie like he's fluffing a pillow.
"Yeah, sure. Make yourself comfortable. It's not like I'm having a crisis or anything."
She lifts the eviction notice, squints at it like maybe it'll apologize.
It doesn't.
She drops it back onto her chest with a dramatic sigh.
Pluto immediately sits on it.
"Great. Perfect. Yes. Please sit on the legal document. That helps."
Her phone buzzes somewhere under a pile of laundry.
She doesn't move.
It buzzes again.
Ellie groans, rolls onto her side, and starts digging through clothes like a raccoon searching a dumpster.
She finally finds the phone, kinky hair sticking up, hoodie half twisted around her neck.
She answers without checking the caller ID.
"...hello."
A beat.
"ELLIE! You left your sketchbook at the coffee shop and we're holding it hostage!"
Ellie blinks.
"...what?"
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Ellie pushes open the coffee shop door, the bell chiming way too cheerfully for the day she's having. She looks... tired. Hoodie sleeves pulled over her hands. Hair in a high puff that's losing the battle. Pluto's fur clinging to her clothes like static.
She spots the three women immediately — because they're impossible to miss.
Zadie waves both arms like she's trying to flag down a rescue helicopter. She holds up Ellie's sketchbook.123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7cNdDQdVrB
Ana gives Ellie a small nod, the kind that says I see you, and also you look like death.123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ2hFI7CsaB
Ruth is sitting with them even though she does not live anywhere near this coffee shop. She's sipping tea like she's been there for hours.
Ellie pretends she didn't see any of that and heads straight for the counter.
Lena is there, tying her apron, expression neutral in that "I've been up since 5 a.m." way.
"Hey. What can I get you?"
Ellie orders something small — the cheapest thing on the menu.
Lena rings it up. Ellie taps her card.
DECLINED.
A beat.123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcRiE6AsDLp
Ellie's stomach drops.
"Oh. Um. That's... weird. Can you try it again?"
Lena tries.123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg7Rat1rVU8
Same result.
She doesn't react much — just a small shrug, like this happens all the time.
"It's okay. No worries."
Ellie is mortified. She fumbles for cash she knows she doesn't have.
From the table, Zadie gasps like she's watching a telenovela.
"Ellie! Are you bankrupt?!"
Ana elbows her.123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTJuKUQzjIn
Ruth mutters, "Inside voice, sweetheart."
Before Ellie can melt into the floor, Ana is suddenly beside her, already handing Lena her card.
"I've got it."
"No— Ana, seriously, I'm fine—"
"You're not. It's okay."
Lena rings it up like this is a weekly occurrence (it is).
Ellie takes the drink, mortified.
From the table:
"Ellie! Come sit! We saved you a seat! And a muffin! But then I ate the muffin!"
Ruth pats the empty chair beside her.
"Come on, honey. You look like you need to sit."
Ellie sighs, defeated, and walks over.
She sits.123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdOgw9RPOSN
Zadie beams like she's been waiting for this exact moment.123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRQoL7SVAXe
Ana returns to her seat, unreadable but watching Ellie closely.123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBp7fR7DbZc
Ruth pushes a napkin toward Ellie like it's emotional support.
"So! Tell us everything. Why do you look like a Victorian child who's seen a ghost?" Zadie asks.
Ellie stares into her cup.123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc0aTHaOx8I
She's not ready to talk about the eviction.123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRNEJ1WFQcp
Not yet.
But she's here.123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpk1JgArpKi
With them.123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHJ7o3Q2GrF
And for a moment, that's enough.
"Just...stayed up all night painting."
Zadie gasps. "Again? Are acrylics that enticing?"
"It's kinda my job." Ellie rolls her eyes. Takes a sip of her drink.
Ana nudges her.
"Sure, you're okay?"
"Yeah. Just tired."
Ana smiles softly.
Zadie cuts in.
"So anyway, I think I could totally fight a goose."
Ellie forces a laugh, but it's thin.
She looks down at her drink.123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡimDCdyQeqN
Her hand is shaking just a little.
Ruth notices.123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB0jv4uz3Pg
She puts her hand over Ellie's — warm, steady.
"I don't know. Geese are really intelligent. And mean." Ana writes in a journal.
"I'm intelligent and mean!"
"You're loud and impulsive. That's different."
Zadie gasps like she's been personally attacked.
"Ellie, back me up!"
Ellie blinks, exhausted.
"I don't think I have the emotional capacity to imagine you fighting a goose right now."
Ruth snorts into her tea.
Zadie crosses her arms dramatically.123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxUuuxo0W5X
Ana sips her drink like she's won a debate.123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu23Mx9Htzj
Ruth pats Ellie's knee under the table — a tiny, grounding gesture.
Ellie looks at the three of them:123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj2oVBviOh4
Zadie pouting,123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTctaOaU6DU
Ana pretending she's not amused,123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFMU3fUhlhV
Ruth watching her with that soft, knowing look.
She feels something loosen in her chest. Mutters under her breath.
"...things could be worse."
Zadie immediately perks up.
"See? Ellie believes in me!"
"She didn't say anything about the goose."
Ellie smiles — small, tired, but real.
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and then Add to home screen.